GDC Chapter 102

Chapter 102: Hatred (Part Five)

Translated by K of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Chapter 102: Hatred—Part Five

Although he was pierced right through the chest, Jiang Cheng wasn’t so weak as to have died right then. It just wasn’t the best for him to move or conjure up his spiritual powers. He didn’t like it when others tried to help him, turning to Jin Ling he said, “Fuck off.”

Jin Ling knew Jiang Cheng was still mad at him for running around. He felt guilty and didn’t dare defend himself. The dog’s barks came from afar, followed by a sudden wail. Jin Ling shuddered as he remembered what Jin GuangYao said, shouting, “Fairy, run! They’re gonna kill you!”

Jin Ling, on the other hand, let out a sigh of relief. Seeing Jiang Cheng sit on the ground, still dark-faced, he turned to Lan WangJi after some hesitation, “HanGuang-Jun, are there any more sitting mats?”

The four mats that they’d been sitting on were all gathered by Lan WangJi. However, there were only four within the temple. After some silence, Lan WangJi stood up and pushed over the one he’d been sitting on.

Jin Ling hurried, “Thank you! It’s fine. I’ll just give him mine…”

Lan WangJi, “There is no need.”

As soon as he finished, he sat down beside Wei WuXian. Even as the two sat so seriously on the same sitting mat, they didn’t seem too cramped. Now that the mat was handed over already, Jin Ling scratched his head before dragging Jiang Cheng over. Jiang Cheng first pressed onto an acupoint at his chest, stopping the blood flow. After he sat down, he looked up and glanced over at Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi. He soon looked down again. His face was gloomy, disclosing nothing of what he was thinking.

Right at this point, an ecstatic cry came from behind the palace, “Sect Leader! We got it! A corner is out already!”

Jin GuangYao’s expression relaxed quite somewhat. He quickly walked back behind the palace, “Press on! Please be careful. There’s not much time left.”

Over a dozen streaks of lightning twisted their way across the edge of the sky. They were soon followed by a series of roaring thunder. Over there, Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi sat together while Jiang Cheng sat at the side. Jin Ling dragged his own mat over as well. Amid the pounding of the rain, there was a long while of dead, awkward silence. Nobody spoke up.

But for some reason, Jin Ling seemed as if he really wanted to talk to them. After some glancing around, he suddenly began, “Uncle, good thing you stopped that guqin string earlier on, or else things would be pretty bad.”

Jiang Cheng’s face darkened, “You can shut up!”

If not for him leaving Jin GuangYao with a chance for a sneak attack due to his own unstable emotions, he wouldn’t have landed in the enemy’s hands either. On top of that, in reality, Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi could’ve completely dodged the attack on their own. Even though, right now, Lan WangJi had no spiritual powers and Wei WuXian’s were low to begin with, their skills were still there. They couldn’t attack, but they were still able to dodge. Clumsily, Jin Ling was trying to speak for his uncle, yet the deliberation made the situation even more awkward.

Wei WuXian didn’t say anything either. In the past, he’d definitely laugh at Jiang Cheng for being so easily-provoked that he gave the opponent an opportunity. But now, recalling what Jin GuangYao said, he understood everything.

Jiang Cheng knew the truth already.

Lan WangJi stroked Wei WuXian’s back a few more times. Wei WuXian looked up. Lan WangJi didn’t seem at all surprised. His eyes were almost gentle. Wei WuXian felt his heart skip a beat. He couldn’t help but whisper, “… You knew?”

Lan WangJi nodded slowly.

Wei WuXian let out a light breath, “… Wen Ning.”

Wen Ning had originally been keeping Suibian, but now it was in Jiang Cheng’s hands. And on their way back from Lotus Pier, Wen Ning said nothing of such a matter.

Wei WuXian, “When did he say it?”

Lan WangJi, “While you were unconscious.”

Wei WuXian, “This was how we left Lotus Pier?!”

If not that Wen Ning hadn’t found them yet, Wei WuXian would definitely have begun glaring at him already.

Lan WangJi, “He always felt sorry for you.”

Wei WuXian’s tone was tinged with anger, “… I told him so many times not to say it!”

Out of the blue, Jiang Cheng spoke up, “Not to do what?”

Wei WuXian paused in surprise, turning to him along with Lan WangJi. Jiang Cheng covered his wound with one hand, his voice chilly, “Wei WuXian, you’re such a great, selfless person. You did the best things possible, and you swallowed all the suffering and didn’t let anyone know. What a touching story. I should kneel down and cry in gratitude, shouldn’t I?”

Hearing the mocking tone that lacked any courtesy, Lan WangJi’s face grew cold. Jin Ling saw the displeased expression and immediately stood in front of Jiang Cheng, scared that Lan WangJi would kill him with one strike, “Uncle!”

Wei WuXian’s expression worsened as well. He never expected Jiang Cheng to make up with him after he found out the truth, but he didn’t think his tone would be as unkind as ever, either. With a moment of silence, he replied, voice muffled, “I never asked you to thank me.”

Jiang Cheng let out a hah, “Of course. Giving without expecting anything in return. What a high level. Unlike me, of course. So that’s why my father always said you were the one who truly understood the Jiang Sect’s motto and did things the Jiang way, back when he was alive.”

Jiang Cheng’s voice harshened, “What do you mean, enough? It’s enough as long as you say so? You know everything! You’re better than me at everything! Whether it be talent or cultivation or spirituality or personality, you guys knew everything while I was much lower—then what am I?!?!”

He suddenly reached out, as if to seize Wei WuXian’s collar. Lan WangJi grabbed Wei WuXian’s shoulder with one hand, letting Wei WuXian stand behind him, and with his other hand he forcefully pushed away Jiang Cheng’s hand. Rage could be seen hidden within his eyes. Although his push held no spiritual energy, it was quite powerful in terms of strength. The wound at Jiang Cheng’s chest ripped apart again. Blood surged.

Lan XiChen took off his outer robe and lay it over the shivering Nie HuaiSang, “Sect Leader Jiang, please do not be so agitated. Your injury will worsen.”

Jiang Cheng shoved Jin Ling, who’d been holding him up helplessly, out of the way. Even though he was losing blood, it rushed to his head unceasingly. His face switched between white and red, “Why? Wei WuXian, just fucking why?”

Behind Lan WangJi, Wei WuXian replied stiffly, “Why what?”

Jiang Cheng, “Just how much did we the Jiang Sect give you? I’m supposed to be his son, I’m supposed to be the heir of the YunmengJiang Sect, yet all these years I’ve been outdone by you at every single thing. You paid for your bringing-up with life! The lives of my dad, my mom, my sister, and Jin ZiXuan! Because of you, all that’s left is a parentless Jin Ling!”

Jin Ling trembled. His shoulders sunk, and his face sagged as well. Wei WuXian moved his lips, but he couldn’t say anything. Lan WangJi turned around to hold his hand.

On the other hand, Jiang Cheng refused to give up, shouting, “Wei WuXian, who was the one who broke his promise and betrayed the Jiang Sect first? Tell me. That I’d be the sect leader and you’d be my subordinate, that you’d help me your whole life, that so long as the GusuLan Sect had its Two Jades, the YunmengJiang Sect would have its Two Prides, that you’d never betray me or betray the Jiang Sect—who was the one that said these?! I’m asking you—who was the one that said all these?! Did you eat all your fucking words?!”

He got more agitated as he ranted on, “And in the end? You go and protect outsiders, haha! The Wen Sect’s people, even. How much of their rice did you eat?! Defecting with such resolution! What did you take our sect to be?! You did all the best things, yet every time you do the worst ones, it’s involuntary! Forced! With some unspeakable grievances! Grievances?! You told me nothing, you played me for a fool!!!

“Just how much do you owe the Jiang Sect? Am I not supposed to hate you? Can I not hate you?! Why is it that now it’s like I’m supposed to have wronged you?! Why do I have to feel like I’m a fucking clown all these years?! What am I? Do I deserve to be blinded by all your dazzling splendor?! Am I not supposed to hate you?!”

Jiang Cheng slapped him onto the ground, “Let him come! Am I scared of him?!”

But after the slap, Jin Ling froze. Not only him, Wei WuXian, Lan WangJi, and Lan XiChen all stopped moving.

Jiang Cheng was crying. Tears poured from his eyes as he forced through his teeth, “… Why… Why didn’t you tell me?!”

Jiang Cheng clenched his fist, like he wanted to hit someone, like he wanted to hit himself. In the end, he still slammed it onto the ground. He should’ve been able to loathe Wei WuXian without a care. But right now, the golden core revolving within him took away all that confidence.

Wei WuXian didn’t know what to say.

In the beginning, it was precisely because he didn’t want to see such a Jiang Cheng that he decided not to tell him.

He remembered every single thing he promised Jiang FengMian and Madam Yu—to help and take care of Jiang Cheng. If someone as unhealthily competitive as him found out about this, he’d be dispirited his whole life, too tortured to face himself. There’d always be something he could never overcome, reminding him that he could only reach where he was because of another’s sacrifice. It wasn’t at all his cultivation and his achievement. No matter if he won or lost, he’d long since lost the right to compete.

Afterwards, it was because Jin ZiXuan and Jiang YanLi died for him that he had no face to let others know. To tell Jiang Cheng after what happened then would be like shirking responsibility, hurrying to demonstrate that he’d contributed as well. It’d be like telling Jiang Cheng, don’t hate me, look I’ve contributed to the YunmengJiang Sect too.

Jiang Cheng cried soundlessly, but tears had already streaked across his face. To cry in such an unsightly way in front of others was almost impossible for him in the past. But every single moment that passed from now on, as long as the golden core remained in his body, as long as it could still revolve, he’d forever remember this feeling.

He choked, “… You said I’d be the sect leader and you’d be my subordinate, you said you’d help me your whole life, you said you’d never betray the YunmengJiang Sect… You said so yourself.”

Jiang Cheng shook his head, burying his face deep into his palms. A second later, he suddenly burst out with a laugh. His muffled voice mocked, “It’s such a time already, and I still need you to say sorry to me. What a fragile person I am.”

My heart hurts from reading this chapter😞😢. I knew he really cared for Wei WuXian it showed through the story but someone always had to add a comment or something and add fuel to the fire. And it made him have some sort of resentment towards his SHIDI. I love this chapter and the whole story.
Lang WangJi- i loved his reactions through out the whole chapter. 😍
I just wanted for Wei WuXian to just get up and go hug 🤗 his brother, I think that’s what he needs(JC)
Thanks again for the wonderful chapter.

i agree with you No one else can be more worthly than Wei Ying. Lan Xichen, even if is not comfortable with his brother’s love for Wei Ying, he can have some peace of mind knowing his brother is in good hands.

Oh sweet JL, trying to keep your uncle from moving. There’s so much going on he has to be so lost.

I’m glad that JC got to process things, but I really wish JL wasn’t getting the brunt of it. 🙁 Still, he had to get that stuff out to heal, right? I can’t even begin to imagine all of the emotions he’s feeling right now.

Poor Jiang Cheng he really did lose all his family so he has every right to be mad. His mother and father were killed for a mistake that WWX committed. So he hated him but at the same time WWX grew up as his brother. So him loved him as well. After the sun shot campaign WWX ended up leaving the sect to protect Jiang Cheng not realizing that he was in a way leaving his brother who hates losing his family all alone. Afterwards by mistake he kills the sisters husband and causes her death indirectly. So now the brother he loves is also his enemy. Jiang Cheng ended up losing all of his family except a new born baby in one swift movement. He really has every right to cry. ….. Hell I am crying with him!😭😓

Yeah so. One take away from this chapter is that Jiang Cheng is a complex character in that he’s sympathetic in a way. His hurt and resentment towards WWX is understandable since he feels WWX chose a lot of people over him, esp now with LWJ. He held resentment since childhood at WWX being a stronger cultivator and the fact his father liked WWX more than him, really was a blow (and frankly JC’s dad sucks bc no matter how much he dislikes Madame Yu that should not affect how he feels for his son, period).

But reading through the other comments I’mma just address some things (bc ahem no shade, but apparently some of y’all on the JC defense squad didn’t actually read the flashback chapters carefully and it shows): WWX breaking his promise to JC was to, for one, protect the innocent remnants of the Wen clan taken as prisoners of war and most importantly protect JC and the reputation of his sect; WWX knows ppl hated and feared him and that JC could get screwed over by associating with him. WWX also kept the secret of his golden core bc he knows JC better than anyone else and that his pride would be hurt by it, like reread this chapter bc it explains WWX’s motivation for keeping the secret VERY clearly.

Also WWX is not to blame for happened to Lotus Pier lmao y’all wild for that; the Wen sect was a dictatorship that found frivolous reasons to flex their superiority. WWX’s actions at the cave saved the lives of countless people including JC’s; his “hero complex” is his compassion for helping others even at the detriment of himself. In the end WWX paid the price trying to do the right thing multiple times, and unfortunately others suffered as well due to outside forces, much like many of the good characters in this story such as Xiao Xing Chen. One thing I can say is that at the end of his life he became cruel bc of the path he cultivated, the hurt he caused his shijie, and knowing the world hates him. He is responsible for a lot of shit esp the death of JL’s parents but y’all not finna pointlessly blame him for things out of his control such Lotus Pier’s destruction and JC’s parents’ death.

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